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This recipe will expose you to two very different cultures: one f rom Bulgaria, the
other from yogurt! Yogurt, a milky specialty from the farmlands of Bulgaria, is a key ingredient in
masni kurabii. But you can be sure that these tender treats will sweeten, not sour,
your holiday feast!
What you'll need:
- 1/2 cup of lard
- 1 cup of shelled walnuts
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour, plus a little bit more if needed
- 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
What to do:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt lard in saucepan over low heat. Set it aside to cool.
- Finely grind up the walnuts using a food processor, blender, or nut chopper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, baking soda, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt.
Beat ingredients together, then add cooled lard and stir well. Stir in ground nuts and flour,
adding one cup at a time. Beat well. You should be able to form a ball with the dough. If it's too
sticky, then add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough can be handled easily.
- To shape the cookies, sprinkle flour on your hands and roll lumps of dough into small,
walnut-sized balls.
- Place the balls on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or
until lightly browned. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
- When they're still slightly warm, roll them in confectioner's sugar. Store them in an airtight
container with some more sifted sugar (or just serve 'em and eat'em right away)!
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